After seeing the two cultivators off, Lei Zong Kang pulled out the money from his collar and gazed at it for a long time. He remained silent.
Duan Hu and Wu San Liang understood their friend's feelings. They too pulled out stacks and looked at them.
So much money. Such an amount of money simply made them sigh. How much humiliation and hardship they had endured for 100,000 gold, and now the two of them held 100,000 in their hands. This was already enough to establish a sect. And they had earned this in just a few days?
However, now, each of them had lost the desire to establish a sect. What was the point of establishing one? Why? Why had they expended so much effort before?
Moreover, they weren't foolish. In Zhaixing City, many would later realize whose goods they had been selling that day. And if they established a sect, it would simply be annihilated the very next day!
Two figures flickered among the trees of the mountain forest, heading towards the opposite peak. This peak was covered in mist. It was no longer possible to proceed further on horseback; the terrain wouldn't allow it. Moreover, neither of them knew the current situation here.
The two people flew through the high mountains. However, they hadn't gotten far before a whistle sounded from the mist ahead. Some black specks flew towards them, as if stones were being thrown at them. The two people dodged the stones and then landed on the mountainside.
"Who dares trespass upon Flowing Clouds Mountain!" an angry voice echoed from the mountain.
The two people tried to make out someone in the mist, but they couldn't. Only clouds of gray mist were visible.
Two figures sprang from the mist and stood before Niu You Dao and Hei Mudan. The two cultivators held spears. One had black fur on his back, and scales could be seen on his face. His cultivation must have been low, as he couldn't fully assume human form.
The two demon-beasts looked at our heroes, and the one with scales said:
"If you wish to live, leave Flowing Clouds Mountain!"
Hei Mudan cupped her hands:
"I, Hei Mudan, am friends with Hu Xiao Xiao from Flowing Clouds Mountain. I've come to visit her. Please, inform her.
The two exchanged glances and shook their heads slightly, then the scale-covered demon-beast waved his hand:
"I haven't heard anything about Hu Xiao Xiao. Leave, or don't blame us!"
Hei Mudan awkwardly said to Niu You Dao:
"Hu Xiao Xiao is indeed from Flowing Clouds Mountain. Perhaps because there are so many people on the mountain, they haven't heard of her..."
Niu You Dao waved his hand, stopping her. If Hu Xiao Xiao were famous, these two demon-beasts would know her. He said with a smile:
"It's natural that these minor demon-beasts haven't heard of her. That's normal. I wonder, have you heard of Yun Huang?"
The two demon-beasts were astonished. How could they not have heard of her, Lady Yun, the head of Flowing Clouds Mountain, whose son now managed the mountain?
The black-furred demon-beast said cautiously:
"Who are you?"
Niu You Dao: "Simple travelers, rogue cultivators, nothing more. We've long heard of the Yun family and wished to visit them and present a precious gift. This is our gift upon our first meeting. I hope you will deliver it and inform them of our presence!" — he pulled out ten banknotes from his sleeve and handed them to Hei Mudan, so she could give them.
Hei Mudan was speechless. This fellow just scatters money around everywhere. She took the money and cautiously handed it to the demon-beasts.
The two demon-beasts took the money and began examining it. 100,000 gold! Their eyes bulged. When had they ever seen so much money!
The black-furred demon-beast checked the money and then passed it to the scale-covered demon-beast.
"You check, are they real?"
Niu You Dao curled his lips into a smile. It was unclear what he was smirking about.
The scale-covered demon-beast checked it, then tilted his head and whispered to his partner:
"Most likely, yes."
The black-furred demon-beast took the money and said in a much softer tone:
"Sirs, may I ask your names?"
"Huangdi Dao!"
"Hei Mudan!"
"I have noted it. Please, sirs, wait here for a moment. I will go report." — the black-furred demon-beast said, and immediately flashed away.
The scale-covered demon-beast had already changed his attitude upon realizing that these two were rich. Since the other party could produce 100,000 as a first-meeting gift, and so freely, it meant their status was not simple.
At this change, Hei Mudan lamented inwardly. Lord Dao's methods, it turned out, were quite simple. He simply crushed them with money. However, these methods were effective! They literally transformed crude demon-beasts into such polite cultivators!
Niu You Dao stood calmly. He leaned on his sword and looked around, enjoying the picturesque mountain scenery.
Hei Mudan couldn't help but look at Niu You Dao. He had such a habit: leaning on his sword and using it as a cane.
Not long after, a slender man emerged from the mist, followed by the black-furred demon-beast.
"Sirs, I am Hou Qing Tian," the thin man introduced himself, then cupped his hands and said:
"May I ask where our esteemed guests hail from?"
Niu You Dao: "We are simple travelers, rogue cultivators."
"Rogue cultivators?" Hou Qing Tian sneered.
"Rogue cultivators who immediately produced 100,000 gold?"
However, since they didn't wish to answer, he didn't press them.
"Do sirs wish to see our master?"
Niu You Dao: "Precisely."
Hou Qing Tian: "For what purpose?"
Niu You Dao: "We wish to pay a visit!"
Hou Qing Tian merely grunted and said nothing. It was unknown whether he believed them or not.
Then he cupped his hands: "Please, sirs, follow me!"
The two people immediately flew after him through the mist.
Hei Mudan noticed how, along the way in the mist, Niu You Dao secretly dropped Lei Zong Kang's bait.
Amidst the gray mist at the mountain peak stood a platform. The two people landed directly onto it. There was a sheer cliff face, in which a rather majestic cave was visible. Within it was precisely the entrance to the palace.
As the three people approached the cave, several cultivators immediately appeared from both sides. They surrounded them.
Hei Mudan grew wary, while Niu You Dao looked at them with a cold gaze.
Hou Qing Tian turned and smiled at them:
"Sirs, please do not be surprised. We have our own rules here. And to prevent visiting guests from causing a disturbance here, we are forced to resort to such measures. Temporarily, we will have to seal your magical powers!"
Hei Mudan looked at Niu You Dao. Niu You Dao calmly nodded:
"Very well!" he tossed his sword.
Hou Qing Tian took the sword, then approached and took Hei Mudan's sword. Then people came forward and placed a restriction on them.
Hou Qing Tian took the swords and handed them to the people standing nearby. Then he invited Niu You Dao and Hei Mudan to proceed:
"Sirs, please!"
The three people entered the cave. Hou Qing Tian sent butterflies ahead to illuminate the way.
Inside the cave, they reached a staircase and began ascending to a higher level.
As soon as they ascended, it was as if they had entered a colossal palace. A thick, foul stench wafted from the depths of the cave, where enormous snakes were devouring something. As soon as the people reached them, all the snakes turned their heads.
There were also many butterflies on the cave ceiling. They illuminated the cave there. However, the cave seemed even more terrifying in this light.
Hou Qing Tian asked the people to wait a moment, while he himself entered the rear part of the palace.
Not long after, Hou Qing Tian emerged and stood to the side of the highest seating spot in the palace.
Soon after, a chirping sound came from the rear of the palace, and an enormous black snake with green eyes slithered out. It was as thick as a bucket and over three zhang long. It slithered up to the steps of the throne.
As soon as the snake's head touched the steps, it began to change. First, its head began to transform, then its entire body. And in an instant, the snake transformed into a man with a powerful and sturdy back. He wore a black belt, and on his wrists were black wrist guards. He slowly ascended the steps to the throne.
"A snake transformed into a human!" Niu You Dao clicked his tongue inwardly. Today, his horizons had broadened!
The man turned and sat on the stone chair. A rather powerful Qi emanated from him. He looked down upon everything.
Hou Qing Tian began to introduce them:
"Sirs, this is our head!"
Niu You Dao and Hei Mudan cupped their hands:
"Greetings, Head Yun."
Yun Huang smiled slightly:
"I wonder, what teachings do sirs have for me?"
Niu You Dao: "We wouldn't dare presume to teach you. We are simple travelers who make acquaintances wherever we go. And visiting this prosperous place, we heard your name. Thus, we have come to establish an acquaintance with you!"
Yun Huang gave a forced smile and asked somewhat menacingly:
"That simple?"
He pulled out the 100,000 gold that Niu You Dao had clearly given him earlier.
Looking at him, Niu You Dao immediately understood that this master didn't like beating around the bush. So he replied:
"Indeed, that simple! Today, I have for the first time witnessed the master's elegance, and your fame truly spreads for a reason. I am now utterly captivated and overjoyed to have met you. I wish to follow great people. I wonder, might we become sworn brothers?" — he cupped his hands again.
— .... Hou Qing Tian was speechless. He thought to himself: "Is this man insane? Who are you? Without revealing anything about yourself, what makes you think you can become our master's sworn brother? Is he an idiot?"
— .... Hei Mudan turned her head and looked at Niu You Dao. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
— .... Yun Huang, sitting on the stone chair, was also dumbfounded. He had truly never witnessed such a thing before. He stared at Niu You Dao, and his eyes sparkled. He was deep in thought.
Niu You Dao then pulled out another 100,000 from his sleeve and offered it to him:
"On the way here, I didn't have time to acquire anything valuable as a gift, so today I literally didn't have a single coin with me. Thus, this is merely the humble gift I can present to you. I hope the master will not disdain it and accept this modest offering! In the future, I will certainly present a more worthy gift as an apology!"